• Plastic pollution, accumulation in the environment of synthetic plastic products to the point that they create problems for wildlife and their habitats as well as for human populations.

Causes of Plastic Pollution 

• Overusing of Single Use Plastic Items 
•  Increase usage of Plastic Products and Toys
• PET Plastic Bottles 
• Plastic Fishing Nets and Equipment 
• Improper Disposal of Plastics
• Failure to Recycle or Up-cycle 
• Low rate of decomposition

Effects of Plastic Pollution

• Plastic pollution has adverse impacts on ocean ecosystems, the integrity of food supplies, and people’s livelihoods. 
• Entanglement and ingestion are the most common hazards for marine species, almost all of which – from microscopic zooplankton to the largest marine mammals – will come into contact with plastic waste during their lives. Entanglement in plastic ropes, lines and discarded fishing gear injures and kills all kinds of marine animals; while ingestion at every stage of the food chain can cause fatalities or have major impacts on physiological functions including nutrition, growth, behaviour and reproduction.

Steps to reduce plastic pollution 

• Plastic leakage is a complex issue, involving multiple sources and actors, and addressing it requires stakeholders to join forces and intervene at various levels. 
• The Fifth UN Environment Assembly (Unea-5) created an expert group on marine litter and microplastics.The group is “reviewing the present situation and analysing the effectiveness of existing and potential response options related to marine plastic litter and microplastics”. It developed and signed “a new global agreement, to provide a legal framework of global response and to facilitate national responses especially for those countries with limited resources and capacities that could contain either legally binding and/or non-binding elements”.
• The Programme for the Assessment and Control of Marine Pollution in the Mediterranean (MEDPOL) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for the implementation of the Integrated Monitoring and Assessment Programme (IMAP) for the Pollution and Litter and Noise clusters. MED POL supports the Contracting Parties in the formulation and implementation of pollution control and prevention policies as well as regulatory measures. MED POL also undertakes regular activities to promote capacity-building and provides technical assistance on monitoring and assessment, implementation and enforcement.

Initiatives by Indian Government to curb plastic pollution 

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021. 
• India will ban manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of identified single use plastic items, which have low utility and high littering potential, all across the country from July 1, 2022. 
• The adverse impacts of littered single use plastic items plastic on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including in marine environment are globally recognized. Addressing pollution due to single use plastic items has become an important environmental challenge confronting all countries. 
• In the 4th United Nations Environment Assembly held in 2019, India had piloted a resolution on addressing single-use plastic products pollution, recognizing the urgent need for the global community to focus on this very important issue. The adoption of this resolution at UNEA 4 was a significant step. In the recently concluded 5th session of United Nations Environment Assembly in March 2022, India engaged constructively with all member states to develop consensus on the resolution for driving global action on plastic pollution.
• The Government of India has taken resolute steps for mitigation of pollution caused by littered Single Use Plastics. The list of banned items includes -ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice- cream sticks, polystyrene (Thermocol) for decoration, plastic plates, cups, glasses, cutlery such as forks, spoons, knives, straw, trays, wrapping or packing films around sweet boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners less than 100 micron, stirrers.
• The Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, also prohibit manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of plastic carry bags having thickness less than seventy five microns with effect from 30th September, 2021, and having thickness less than thickness of one hundred and twenty microns with effect from the 31st December, 2022. 
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has also notified the Guidelines on Extended Producers Responsibility on plastic packaging as Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2022 on 16th February, 2022. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is responsibility of a producer for the environmentally sound management of the product until the end of its life.The Guidelines will provide framework to strengthen circular economy of plastic packaging waste, promote development of new alternatives to plastic packaging and provide next steps for moving towards sustainable plastic packaging by businesses.
• Capacity building workshops are being organized for MSME units to provide them technical assistance for manufacturing of alternatives to banned single use plastic items with the involvement of CPCB/SPCBs/PCCs along with Ministry of Small Micro and Medium Enterprises and Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering (CIPET) and their state centres. Provisions have also been made to support such enterprises in transitioning away from banned single use plastics. 
• The Government of India has also taken steps to promote innovation and provide an ecosystem for accelerated penetration and availability of alternatives all across the country.
• For effective enforcement of ban on identified SUP items from 1 July 2022, national and state level control rooms will be set up and special enforcement teams will be formed for checking illegal manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of banned single use plastic items. States and Union Territories have been asked to set up border check points to stop inter-state movement of any banned single use plastic items.
• CPCB Grievance Redressal App has been launched to empower citizens to help curb plastic menace. For wider public outreach, PRAKRITI - mascot was also launched.
• The Government has been taking measures for awareness generation towards elimination of single use plastics The awareness campaign has brought together entrepreneurs and startups, industry, Central, State and Local Governments, regulatory bodies, experts, citizens organizations, R& D and academic institutions. 
• The success of the ban will only be possible through effective engagement and concerted actions by all stakeholders and enthusiastic public participation.